السُؤالُ في طََلَبِ الحَاجَةِ
ASKING (WHEN SEEKING FULFILLMENT OF ONE'S NEEDS)
النَّهيُ عَن سُؤالِ النّاسِ / Prohibition of Asking People
1ـ رسولُ اللهِِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): يا أبا ذَرٍّ ، إيّاكَ والسؤالَ فإنّهُ ذُلٌّ حاضرٌ ، وفَقرٌ تَتَعَجَّلُهُ ، وفيهِ حِسابٌ طَويلٌ يَومَ القِيامَةِ.
1– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'O Ab Dharr, beware of asking
[people] for it is ready humiliation and a poverty which you yourself hasten down, and it entails lengthy accounting on the Day of Resurrection.’
[al-Faqih, v. 4, p. 375, no. 5762]
2ـ رسولُ اللّهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): مَن يَتَكَفَّلُ لِي أن لا يَسألَ الناسَ شيئا وأتَكَفَّلُ لَهُ بالجَنَّةِ؟ قالَ ثَوْبانُ: أنا . فَكانَ ثَوْبانُ لا يَسألُ الناسَ شيئاً.
2– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Who can give me their word that they never ask anything from people and I will guarantee them Paradise in return?’ A man called Thawban said, 'I do', and indeed Thawban never used to ask people for anything.’
[Kanz al-`Ummal, no. 17142]
السُؤالُ في طََلَبِ الحَاجَةِ
ASKING (WHEN SEEKING FULFILLMENT OF ONE'S NEEDS)
3ـ رسولُ اللّه (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): ما مِن عبدٍ فَتَحَ على نَفسِهِ باباً مِن المَسألَةِ إلّا فَتَحَ اللّهُ علَيهِ سَبعينَ باباً مِنَ الفَقرِ.
3– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'No sooner does a servant open the door of begging unto himself than Allah opens seventy doors of poverty unto him.’
[Jami`a al-Akhbar, p. 379, no. 1061]
4ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): مَن سَألَ غيرَ اللّهِ استَحَقَّ الحِرمانَ .
4– Imam Ali (AS) said, 'He who asks anything of anyone other than Allah becomes deserving of deprivation.’
[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 7993]
5ـ الإمامُ الحسنُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): إنّ المسألَةَ لا تَحِلُّ إلّا في إحدى ثلاثٍ: دَمٍ مُفجِعٍ ، أو دَينٍ مُقرِحٍ ، أو فَقرٍ مُدقِعٍ .
5– Imam al-Hasan (AS) said, 'Verily begging is not allowed, except in three cases: a tragic and sudden loss
[of goods or a dear one], an escalating debt or an abasing poverty.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 96, p. 152, no. 16]
6ـ الإمامُ زينُ العابدينَ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): طَلَبُ الحَوائجِ إلى الناسِ مَذَلَّةٌ للحياةِ ، ومَذهَبَةٌ للحَياءِ ، واستِخفافٌ بِالوَقارِ ، وهُو الفَقرُ الحاضِرُ ، وقِلَّةُ طَلَبِ الحوائجِ مِنَ الناسِ هُو الغِنى الحاضِرُ.
6– Imam Zayn al-Abidin (AS) said, 'Asking for the fulfilment of one's needs from people degrades one's life, does away with one's modesty, and makes a mockery of one's own dignity and it is a ready poverty in itself. Refraining from seeking fulfilment of one's needs from people is ready wealth in itself.’
[Tuhaf al-`Uqoul, no. 279]
7ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): شِيعَتُنا مَن لا يَسألُ الناسَ ولَو ماتَ جُوعاً.
7– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'Our followers
[shi`aa] are those who do not ask anything from people, even if they were to die of hunger.’
[Wasael al-Shi`aah , v. 6, p. 309, no. 15]
التَّحذيرُ مِنَ السُّؤالِ عَن ظَهرِ غِنىً / Caution Against Asking (of People) in Spite of Being Well-Off
8ـ رسولُ اللهِِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): مَن سَألَ عن ظَهرِ غِنىً فَصُداعٌ في الرأسِ وداءٌ في البَطنِ.
8– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Whoever begs in spite of being well-off will be afflicted with headache and stomach pains.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 96, p. 156, no. 29]
9ـ الإمامُ زينُ العابدينَ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): ضَمِنتُ على رَبّي أن لايَسألَ أحَدٌ أحَداً مِن غَيرِ حاجَةٍ إلّا اضطَرَّتْهُ حاجَةٌ بالمَسألةِ يَوماً إلى أن يَسألَ مِن حاجَةٍ.
9– Imam Zayn al-Abidin (AS) said, 'I assure you by My Lord that no one should ask anything from anyone else unnecessarily, until and unless he is one day compelled by his needs to ask someone for fulfilment of that need.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, p. 158, no. 37]
10ـ الإمامُ الباقرُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): مَن سَألَ بظَهرِ غِنىً لَقِيَ اللّهَ مَخْموشاً وَجهُهُ يَومَ القِيامَةِ .
10– Imam al-Baqir (AS) said, 'He who asks others in spite of being well-off will meet Allah with a scarred face on the Day of Resurrection.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, p. 155, no. 26]
الحَثُّ عَلَى الاستِغناءِ عَنِ النّاسِ / Enjoinment of Self-Sufficiency
11ـ رسولُ اللهِِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): مَن سَألَنا أعطَيناهُ ، ومَنِ استَغنى أغناهُ اللّهُ .
11– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Whoever asks of us, we give him, and whoever tries to be self-sufficient, Allah enriches him.’
[al-Kafi, v. 2, p. 138, no. 2]
12ـ رسولُ اللهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): لو أنّ أحَدَكُم يَأخُذُ حَبلاً فَيَأتِي بِحُزْمَةِ حَطَبٍ على ظَهرِهِ فَيَبِيعُها فَيَكُفُّ بها وَجهَهُ خَيرٌ لَهُ مِن أن يَسألَ .
12– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'If any of you was to take some rope and bring a bundle of firewood on his back to sell or to use as shelter, it would be better for him than to beg.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 96, p. 158, no. 37]
طَلَبُ المَعروفِ مِن أهلِهِ / Asking a Favour from the Right Person
13ـ رسولُ اللهِِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): اُطلُبُوا المَعروفَ والفَضلَ مِن رُحَماءِ اُمَّتي تَعِيشُوا في أكنافِهِم.
13– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Seek favours and kindness from the compassionate people of my community and you will always remain under their wing of protection.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 96, p. 160, no. 38]
14ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): ماءُ وَجهِكَ جامِدٌ يُقْطِرُهُ السُّؤالُ، فَانظُرْ عِندَ مَن تُقطِرُهُ.
14– Imam Ali (AS) said, 'Your self-respect is firm and only begging causes it to yield, so be careful who you allow it to yield in front of.’
[Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 346]
15ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): فَوْتُ الحاجَةِ أهوَنُ مِن طَلَبِها إلى غَيرِ أهلِها.
15– Imam Ali (AS) said, 'Letting a need go unmet is easier than asking the wrong person for it.’
[Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 66]
أدَبُ السُّؤالِ / The Etiquette of Asking
16ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): لا تَسألْ مَن تَخافُ أن يَمنَعَكَ.
16– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'Do not ask the one who you fear will deny you.’
[A`alam al-Din, no. 304]
17ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): ثلاثةٌ تُورِثُ الحِرمانَ: الإلحاحُ في المَسألَةِ ، والغِيبةُ ، والهُزءُ .
17– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'Three things bring about deprivation: insistence in one's asking, backbiting and mockery.’
[Tuhaf al-`Uqoul, no. 321]
التَّحذيرُ عَن رَدِّ السائِلِ / Prohibition of Turning a Beggar Away Empty-Handed
18ـ رسولُ اللهِِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): لا تَقطَعُوا علىالسائلِ مَسألَتَهُ فلَولا أنَّ المَساكينَ يَكذِبُونَ ما أفلَحَ مَن رَدَّهُم .
18– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Do not ever snub the beggar's request, for were it not for the fact that some of them do lie, those who turn beggars away would never prosper.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 96, p. 158, no. 37]
19ـ رسولُ اللهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): اُنظُرُوا إلى السائلِ، فإن رَقَّتْ لَهُ قُلوبُكُم فَأعطُوهُ ، فإنّهُ صادِقٌ .
19– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Look at the beggar and if you find your hearts softening towards him then give him for verily he is honest.’
[Nawadir al-Rawandi, p. 3]
20ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): لا تَرُدَّ سائلاً ولَو مِن شَطرِ حَبَّةِ عِنَبٍ أو شِقِّ تَمرَةٍ.
20– Imam Ali (AS) said, 'Do not turn the beggar away empty handed, even if you can give him but half a grape or a piece of a date.’
[Tuhaf al-`Uqoul, no. 172]
21ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): لا تَستَحِ مِن إعطاءِ القَليلِ؛ فإنَّ الحِرمانَ أقَلُّ مِنهُ.
21– Imam Ali (AS) said, 'Do not be ashamed to give little, for verily refusing to give anything at all is an act of greater shame.’
[Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 67]
22ـ الإمامُ الحسينُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): صاحِبُ الحاجةِ لَم يُكرِمْ وَجهَهُ عن سُؤالِكَ فَأكرِمْ وَجهَكَ عن رَدِّهِ.
22– Imam al-Husayn (AS) said, 'The needy one loses his self-respect by asking you, so do not lose your self-respect by denying him.’
[Kashf al-Ghamma, v. 2, p. 244]
23ـ الإمامُ الباقرُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): لو يَعلَمُ السائلُ ما في المَسألَةِ ما سَألَ أحَدٌ أحَداً، ولَو يَعلَمُ المَسؤولُ ما في المَنعِ ما مَنَعَ أحَدٌ أحَداً.
23– Imam al-Baqir (AS) said, 'If the beggar was to know the enormity of begging, no one would ever ask anything of another, and if the one asked was to know the enormity of denying someone, no one would ever deny another again.’
[Tuhaf al-`Uqoul, no. 200]
24ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): إنّ الرَّجُلَ لَيَسألُني الحاجَةَ فَاُبادِرُ بقَضائها مَخافَةَ أن يَستَغنِيَ عَنها فلا يَجِدَ لَها مَوقِعاً إذا جاءَتْهُ .
24– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'When a man asks me to fulfil a need, I rush to fulfil it fearing lest he ceases to need it, and will find no place for it when it comes.’
[`Uyoun Akhbar al-Ridha (AS), v. 2, p. 179, no. 2]
25ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): أطعِمُوا ثلاثةً ثُمّ أنتُم بالخِيارِ علَيهِ ، إن شِئتُم أن تَزدادُوا فَازدادُوا وإلّا فقد أدَّيتُم حَقَّ يَومِكُم.
25– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'Feed
[at least] three people. If you then wish to feed more then it is up to you, and if not then you will have at least performed your duty for the Day
[of Resurrection].’
[`Auddat al-Da`ai, p. 91]
26ـ أئمَةِ المَعصُومِينَ (عَلَيهِم الّسَلام): إنّا لَنُعطي غَيرَ المُستَحِقِّ حَذَراً مِن رَدِّ المُستَحِقِّ .
26– The Imams (AS) said, 'Verily we give to the undeserving in order to act as a deterrent
[for people] from turning away the deserving.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 96, p. 159, no. 37]